Timmonsville’s Mayor Says He is Not Surprised By the Decision Made By the State Superintendent of Education

After months of speculation, State Superintendent Molly Spearman announced her decision regarding the fate of Timmonsville High School via a letter addressed to Florence 4 staff, students, their families and the community at large. Spearman made an effort to speak about all of the successes and strides made by the district she described as being in a state of emergency, before the state took it over. In spite of the fact there have been a number of positive changes in District 4, Spearman still made the decision to close Timmonsville High School.

According to the mayor, residents have not been quiet about how they feel about Spearman, and her handling of her plans to close the town’s only high school. “People are upset, and they have been upset for months. Frankly based on Ms. Spearman’s actions, the citizens here in Timmonsville have never believed that she ever had any intention of allowing the High School to remain open.”, Jackson said

The mayor says that citizens in his town have always approached the issue of the possible closure of their high school in good faith. Superintendent Spearman in contrast, never afforded the people of Timmonsville the same courtesy, respect or consideration they gave her. “Ms. Spearman was indifferent to the feelings and concerns of citizens from the start. She made that clear when she was asked why she didn’t come to me and the town council. Spearman rather bluntly told the group that I, as the mayor, had nothing to do with anything, and she did not need to talk to anyone about her decision.”, Jackson said.

“People don’t like being bullied, victimized or backed into a corner. Based on conversations I have had with citizens, they believe that Ms. Spearman has committed all of these acts, and a few others, against them, and they are angry.” This is a real unfortunate situation.”, Jackson said.

According to the mayor, citizens don’t have any faith in anything Spearman has to say in terms of her concern for the best interests of their children. Jackson says that there has not been a day since September when he hasn’t been in discussions with citizens who have told him that they have a zero level of trust in regard to Spearman. “Really to be perfectfully honest, the Superintendent is responsible for much of the mistrust and disdain that people feel towards her. Her very first act at the start of all of this, was to discuss the future of the high school with the kids. When you are talking about something this serious, the parents should have received this information first. Speaking to minor children about something like this without parents and other concerned parties in Timmonsville, was inappropriate at best.”, Jackson said.

Jackson also heartened back to a virtual meeting that Spearman had with parents on September 30th. “People asked some very important questions in that meeting. They asked Ms. Spearman if she had reviewed any studies that would indicate the impact closing the high school would have on students. Ms. Spearman stated that she had not, and went a step further by saying that she did not believe there were any. My team actually found 20 studies relating to this very issue the very next day. Ms. Spearman was also asked if she had consulted with any child psychologists. She stated that she spoke with one, but offered nothing beyond that. She quickly shifted to another topic.”, Jackson said.

The mayor says that citizens believe that they and their high school were targeted because those at the top of the power structure believe that they are poor, black and not intelligent enough to fight back. “Spearman has had people in Timmonsville stressed and anxious since September. She promised to report back to them in December. Not a single soul heard a thing from Molly Spearman until she released her statement on March 2nd. I have been told more times than I care to repeat by citizens, that they don’t believe for a second Ms. Spearman would walk into a town where the majority of the population is white, and treat the citizens there the way she’s treated the people here. This situation is just appalling, it really is.”, Jackson said.